Dogster

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It's A Big World, Especially if You're Only Six Pounds

A Bleak and Bitter Summer

Sometimes I have to sit back, breathe, and remember I am only twenty years old.

This summer has been a cloudy, foggy, chilly excuse of a season this year in northern California. A couple days ago the town just south of me was the coldest place in the 48 United States. Colder than North Dakota, which I kind of picture as being where Yetis live year 'round. Because it never really got warm, Tyson never really finished blowing his winter undercoat, so he's been a shedding monster the past three months instead of confining the expulsion of his fur to one month. I am pretty sure my vacuum is broken now because of it.

Also responding to the lack of heat are my ankle, knees, shoulder and a couple fingers; victims of injuries past that have never quite been the same. A few of my toes explode and burn as if broken, and the word "arthritis" flashes white hot with the pain across my mind. I can't hurt like this. I need to take the dogs out, run errands and clean my house. I have to go to work, stand for eight hours and be required to function and move quickly.

As if reading my thoughts, Tyson gets up from his bone and ambles over to me and puts his head on my feet. The heat radiating from his throat penetrates my frozen joints and the pain subsides a little bit. I scootch closer and gently scrape away eye boogies with my fingernail, then scratch him around his earls like I know he loves. Sassy, disrupted by my movement (she must have been under the blankets) butts her head up against my side, requesting in her way some skull scruffles too. My sweet little Sas! As a functioning dog she is so useless and often makes my stress levels go through the roof, but if she didn't exist in my life in her delicate and yet retarded way I think I might be worse off. Her life is souly to be close to me and to be cute while she's doing it. Her petite antics paired with her brain damage often makes her a unique comedy routine designed specifically to make me laugh, so as she loses her balance trying to get my attention I swoop her up and kiss her fragile little head. Both shivering and wagging her tail (since she is unsure of how to feel) she returns kisses full force onto my nose. The commotion gets Attila going, so of course he too must be part of things and demands such by forcing his way under my arms and meowing loudly in my face.

For a moment the aches and pains are gone. My room doesn't seem that messy, work doesn't seem like slavery, and the dogs are perfectly content in my lap not going anywhere. Moving back to Los Angeles, going back to school and pursuing a career is less of a stress than it is a goal; a dream I am working to make come true. That realization and that little bit of stress off my chest allows me to inhale deeply and fill my lungs with life and the scent of my furries who, no matter what, are glues loyally to my side.

Sometimes I have to sit back, breathe, and remember I am only twenty years old.

Summer Has Finally Begun!

It was our first real sunny day today. I decided to kick it off by taking the dogs for a three-hour hike as soon as I got off of work. Up in the redwoods, I am fortunate enough to have miles upon miles of uninterrupted trails through the mountains right out my front door. The first half of the hike was all uphill, and pretty steep, but Sassy did GREAT! She didn't need to be carried at all and every time I started to worry she looked at me and wagged her tail as if saying "I'm fine! This is the best!"

Tyson, of course, was full of energy the whole time. He was doing super great off leash, but of course as we were almost done he blew it. I should have leashed him as soon as we switched trails because the one we took back is pretty popular, but I was a bad Mommy :( I'm going to pay better attention next time though! These things must not slip my mind!!

Both dogs are sprawled out on the floor now, so deep in sleep that Attila's routine lap-running around the room isn't even phasing them.

I can't wait to get to the river and the lagoons so that we can go swimming!